India targets strong Para Asian Games campaign in Nagoya despite smaller contingent
India will begin its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games campaign on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with a markedly reduced contingent of around 168 athletes across 11 disciplines and selection disputes in para-shooting and para-cycling clouding preparations.
India arrives in Nagoya after a record haul at the last Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where it finished fifth with 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze medals, a total of 111. The current delegation is smaller than the 303 athletes fielded in China, a reduction the article attributes to tighter participation quotas and changes to the events on offer. Competition for India began on Saturday in para-badminton, para-table tennis, boccia and blind football, ahead of the official opening ceremony on Sunday.
Para-athletics, which contributed 55 medals in Hangzhou (18 gold, 17 silver and 20 bronze), remains central to India’s prospects but the number of Indian competitors in the discipline has fallen from 123 to 62. Leading medal contenders named for track and field include Paralympic champion and world-record holder Sumit Antil in the F64 javelin, high jumper Nishad Kumar, T35 sprinter Preeti Pal in the women’s 100m and 200m, and club thrower Dharambir Singh.
Archery is listed among the sports expected to deliver medals, with armless archer Sheetal Devi cited as a leading hope in compound events; the 19-year-old won two gold medals in Hangzhou and added an individual world title since then and will attempt to defend her individual and mixed-team crowns. Paralympic recurve champion Harvinder Singh and world champion Toman Kumar are also named as part of India’s compound archery challenge.
Para-badminton, which yielded 21 medals in Hangzhou (four gold, four silver and 13 bronze), will be led by Pramod Bhagat — the singles champion from the previous edition and India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony — and Suhas LY, with Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh Kumar also singled out as a leading contender.
Shooting and table tennis are described as further medal opportunities; Avani Lekhara is identified to spearhead the shooting team and Bhavina Patel is highlighted among India’s table tennis medal hopes. Around 150 para-shooters submitted a representation to the Sports Authority of India seeking an independent inquiry into alleged financial irregularities, extortion and violations of selection guidelines, questioning omissions and alleging pressure to surrender a portion of government cash awards. Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia rejected the allegations, saying selections were based entirely on merit, and the Sports Ministry’s removal of the shooting team’s head coach shortly before the Games and appointment of a replacement prompted criticism from leading shooters, including Paralympic medallists, over the timing and potential impact on preparations.
Para-cycling selection has also been contested: a joint selection committee recommended six cyclists but the ministry cleared only Arshad Shaik for the Games, a decision disputed by those left out who argued their performances and qualification credentials warranted consideration. Authorities said selection depended on meeting prescribed performance benchmarks; Shaik will be India’s sole cycling representative and will travel with a technician, and the reduced representation has raised concerns about opportunities to gain international exposure and ranking points ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
With a smaller team, the article states matching India’s 111-medal haul from Hangzhou will be difficult and much will depend on the performances of established medallists and emerging athletes across para-athletics, archery and para-badminton; India’s campaign continues through the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games after the opening ceremony on Sunday.
